The Fall of the Aftons

020: William Afton

William's scream followed him from his horrifying nightmare to boring reality. He tried to sit up and stretch his achy neck, but someone held him down. He looked next to him, surprised by what he saw. Henry was the one holding him down with a stern expression. "Just go back to sleep, Will," he mumbled as he pulled William back down. "You'll be fine." He pulled William close, so close that they were nearly touching with the exception of his arm. William's cheeks burned so much that he was certain that his friend could feel the warmth radiating from his face. He hadn't even felt Henry climb onto the couch with him during the night. He had been sleeping on the Emilys' couch every night as Terrance slept in the guest bedroom.

With a quiet sigh, he slid Henry's arm off of him, grabbed his jacket and boots, and left the house. Ever since earlier that night when everyone returned from Fredbear's, nothing felt right in the house anymore.

"Henry, where are you going? The front door is this way," William said as he pointed to the front door. Henry was walking away from it, headed toward the backyard.

"I don't have a key to the front door. I lost it years ago. I have to go through the back." He stopped speaking and walking for a moment or two. "Come on, I want to show you something." He resumed walking to the back.

William looked to Terrance, but his nephew only shrugged indifferently. "I don't know what he's doing," he said quietly before he shrugged again and followed after Henry. William sighed and ran after his nephew and friend. The two of them found Henry watching a window near the back with glassy eyes. 

"Look," Henry murmured sadly, then leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. He didn't seem to care that the snow soaked his pants.

William hesitantly looked through the window in the wall and gasped when he saw what Henry was talking about. There she was--Mrs. Emily was with another man, just like Henry had told him so many months ago. 

"Holy shit," Terrance muttered before William had the chance to say anything.

"You got that right," Henry replied with a sad laugh.

William sat down next to his friend and took hold of his hand in a sympathetic manner. "I'm so sorry, Henry," he mumbled. 

Henry chuckled again. "It's fine. You did warn me about her."

"I thought that had been a joke," Terrance said, obviously confused. "I was there at your wedding. I was, like, two years old. I barely remember it, but I remember being there with Uncle as he was joking around with you."

"It was a joke," William told his nephew as he stood up and helped Henry up off the ground.

William still couldn't believe Mrs. Emily had done that! And Henry came home every single day seeing that? That poor guy...

"Will?"

William flinched and spun around to find Henry shaking in the frigid winter breeze. His arms were crossed across his chest and he was still in his pajamas and slippers. "Henry!" he shrieked as he took off his winter coat, leaving on the fleece jacket he'd been sleeping in. "Why don't you have any winter gear on? It's fifteen degrees out here!" He wrapped his coat around Henry's shoulders.

"I'm worried about you," his friend mumbled nervously as he put the coat on properly and pulled up the hood. "You haven't been eating or sleeping properly for over two months now!"

He looked at the snow-covered ground. Henry had brought it up numerous times already that he had slept or eaten properly in a long time. It was starting to annoy him. "I got a house," he informed his friend with the slightest bit of agitation in his voice. "Then you don't have to worry about my horrible sleeping and eating habits anymore." He gave a forced chuckle, quickly realizing he shouldn't have when Henry's frown dug even deeper into his tan, freckled cheeks. "You should be worrying about fixing your relationship with your wife. Not worrying about me and my own problems. I don't matter as much as your marriage does."